Honey Cakes and Flowers at Dawn
by Demi Brackensick
Summary: An orphaned girl with a missing identity, in search of finding the one thing she has craved the most; a family. But most importantly, finding a mother. And a woman with a dark secret she has kept hidden. When their paths cross with one another, will the woman realize that she needs this girl more than the girl needs her?
1. Chapter 1

**Hey guys! So this is officially the new and re-vamped version of "For The Love Of a Daughter"! I hope y'all enjoy the little intro here! I will be taking down the original story very soon, but for now, I hope you guys enjoy this! Let me know what guys think!**

**OH! But wait! Before I forget, I want to send a very special shout out to someone very special...y'all ready for who it is?!**

***DRUMROLL***

**GALIMATIAS!**

**Honestly, words cannot express how much I adore you! This special shout out goes to her! I give her full credit for helping me come up with the amazing title for this story. You're so awesome chicky! You are definitely a keeper! Thank you so, so, so, sooooo very much! *Mwah!* **

**Anyways, onto the introduction!**

* * *

**Introduction**

* * *

Her first home was one she didn't remember.

Not that she would have wanted to remember because, she assumed from her current state of location, that they hadn't have wanted to remember her. Though, truly, her existence in the world was beginning to seem more like an epic adventure out of the word of Homer than the life of a twelve year old. Every house had been remembered by the next people who had gotten her. The second family remembered the first. The next remembered the last two. Until finally, everything had dissolved into a mix of myths and stories of how many, and who had been, and they hadn't.

In the end, what did it matter? She was in her twenty-first home, and was not enjoying it in the least.

Normally, children were supposed to be blessed with a sense of direction in life. They were supposed to be born into a warm and cozy shelter that was brimmed with love, protection and security. What children needed most was a family. Flesh and blood or not, they needed parents in their lives.

Well, that was what Mia had thought.

Unfortunately for her, she was naïve enough to believe a foolish lie such as that one.

If such a thing like that was valid, then why did it feel like it was all just added to the collection of odysseys? And if it were true, how is it that a child at her age could end up in so many various homes in the twelve years that she had captured her first breath?

All of these questions littered amongst her skull, and curiosity had eventually found its way inside. If the thought of being loved and secured was true, then why was it that in every home she had been in, was she treated so….horribly?

If she could count the number of her times she had received several lashes to her back for every rule that was accidently broken, was that considered love? If she could remember every ounce of shouting in which demanded her to keep up with her daily household tasks that her small ears were forced to digest, was that considered love as well? If being deprived of hunger and rest for unintentionally washing the clothing the wrong way was an act of love, then why was the feeling displayed so…harshly?

And most importantly, if she could mentally count the amount of homes that she has been bounced to literally every second of the day in her life, was that considered a feeling of security?

If all those things could add up and if they were true, then to her, it was definitely an absurd way of displaying those two major components.

It was all she ever wanted. It was all she ever yearned for in her twelve years of life. But it was something that she was certain she would never find. Not in this life time. Not in the condition that she was living in at the moment.

Despite being taken care of by numerous caregivers that she barely had the chance to blink to even familiarize herself with at least one of them, she was missing out on everything. Missing out on life. Missing out on what it means to have a family. But most importantly, she was missing out on the most precious thing she could think of.

Her childhood.

Such a precious feeling had been stripped from her long time ago. And because of that, a piece of her was missing. Not even a piece, but rather a large chunk of her identity had been taken from her. All she ever knew was that her name was Mia, she was twelve years of age, and that was about it.

She hadn't the slightest hint where she had once belonged. And she hated it. Even if she would politely ask one of the caregivers to provide her with just a tiny shred of information on her heritage, it was always the same answer. 'Hazi!' They'd say, cruelty in every syllable, 'aschimo koritsi, go do your chores!' And like punctuation, finished with a boot to the back. Cold and harsh, lacking any shred of sympathy or compassion.

Her parents on the other hand were a different story. She always wondered who her parents were. What they had done for a living. What kind of people they were. If they were good people, or bad people. Were they nice? Were they mean? But most importantly, she wondered why on earth would they had sent her away?

Maybe it was because…..they hadn't want her?

But, why wouldn't they want her?

The thought of being abandoned is what she desperately feared the most. But at the same time, abandonment is what she was used to. She had grown up through abandonment. With the amount of homes she's been in, not once was did she feel safe and secure. Not once did she feel at home.

Home?

What is a home anyway?

The word 'home' was something she could never had come to the terms to fully grasp. It was word that sounded so foreign that made it difficult for her to digest. As much as she's been exposed to numerous 'homes' in her past, the word 'home' was the last feeling that each of them felt like. If being stuck in crammed cottages with other children that were forced to do chores around the house and feared for their lives of having to endure brutal lashes to the back for disobeying orders by the caregivers was considered a 'home', then that was the only 'home' she would have to endure for the next two years of her life.

Despite the deep hatred she had towards it.

"What are you thinking about?"

Her thoughts were cut short, snapping back to reality as she turned to face where the sound had come from, her chestnut hair following as she realized it the sound had come from another little girl's voice; her roommate, Delta looked around the same age as she was. She only stared at the girl who was sprawled out on the bed across from her. Fatigue showing her in blues as they locked with the other's brown curious ones, long blonde, silky strands of hair stuck to her sticky skin.

She merely shrugged her lithe shoulders, the loose straps of her tattered dress moving with them, with strap slowly falling down her shoulder, which clearly the dress was a little bit two sizes too big to fit around her tiny body.

"Stuff."

"What kind of stuff?"

"Just stuff." She mumbled, her voice barely a whisper. "That…I can't talk about."

The girl frowned in confusion, her blonde bangs falling with her brows. "Why can't you?"

"I…" She bowed her head sadly, wavy chestnut locks curtained her face and spilled down her arms. "Just can't."

The wooden door immediately swung open, pounding loudly into the stoned walls, it's impact feeling like a sudden earthquake was about to erupt, causing the two girls to jump in fright, bodies stiffening as their heads both whipped around in the direction, eyes bulging out of their sockets, mouths hanging open in fright to see the silhouette of a rather large woman standing in the doorway.

The glare that spread amongst her facial features stood out of the most and her eyes cold and dark as they lacked any sympathy or gentleness.

"Hazi!" She hissed. "When I say candles out, I mean _candles out_!"

"I'm sorry-"

"Go to sleep!"

"Yes ma'am."

The girls had both mumbled in unison, immediately obeying the woman's harsh command as she huffed angrily, muttered something cruel that was obviously thrown towards them, turned on her heel and slammed the door shut, loud enough to give them a startle.

Of course, this wasn't the first time she had to endure hearing those cruel words pounding in her ears. She fought to ignore the words that had blatantly been thrown at her just a couple of seconds ago, wincing slightly at just how harsh and cruel she realized they had sounded. Tears brimmed in her eyes but she did not dare let them escape.

When they say candles out, they meant it. No ifs ands or buts about anything. Candles were out and every child was immediately ordered to keep their closed shut and sleep. If sleep did not surround them in the next two seconds and one of the caregivers came in and they were still tossing and turning, it was lash to the back and that was that.

Mia knew better not to make any sudden movement as soon her ears were able to decipher the sounds of feet shuffling on the stairs. She was quite the pro at pretending she had fallen into a peaceful slumber when the door to her room would creak open. Which happened frequently, and on nights like this, it was one of those nights.

She lay steady on her back, exhaustion coating her eyes at they were fixed on the wooden ceiling that loomed over her person. Her thoughts preventing her body from retrieving any rest whatsoever. At this point in time, she had grown tired and she so desperately wanted to fulfill her body with those needs. But for some reason, she just couldn't. And she could never understand why.

Why was it that she was always having these sleepless nights?

Why?

All she could do was wonder. Wonder what the main reason was for keeping her from sleeping at night. As much as she would try and try to seek for the answer that she was desperately looking for, it was still a mystery to her.

Right now, all she could manage to find right now, was sleep. And in a couple of minutes, she did, slowly but surely.

Her eyelids drooped suddenly, and before she knew it, sleep had seeped its way inside of her, and with that, she fell into a deep sleep.

Despite the fact that she may have been asleep at this point, deep in the back of her mind, she knew that she did not want to end up spending the rest of her life as a slave.

* * *

**Hey guys! So what did you guys think of the new introduction? Like it? Hate it? I hope you guys enjoyed this! There will be more to come very soon! Anyways if you loved, show your love and R&amp;R! Mwah!***


	2. Chapter 2

**Hey y'all! I'm alive! I didn't drop off the face of the earth! I truly apologize that this chapter took me forever to write and update. For the past few months, I've been battling with a case of writer's block! Boo! Trust me, there were many times that I've had to start over and re-write this whole chapter, just because I was so unsatisfied with what I have written. But thankfully, I was able to get through it!**

**Anyways, I just want to make it clear to all of you that I do plan on trying to follow the old plot of the previous version, "For The Love Of a Daughter". However, the pacing of this story is going to be different. And as I mentioned before, I do plan to incorporate more of some Ancient Greek Mythology. But this story will still be based on the animated version that came into the Disney Studios in 1997. Not to worry folks!**

**And just so I don't forget, I've also incorporated some aspects of the Greek language into this particular chapter. Thanks to google translation! There are some that I can't remember what the English meaning is, since I had begun this chapter so long ago. Here are a list of the words and what the mean in English:**

**Tó̱ra – Now**

**Si̱ko̱theíte – Get up**

**I̱líthio korítsi – Stupid girl**

**Skáse – Shut up**

**Eínai mia virgin – She's a virgin**

**Gýrna píso̱ - Come back here**

**sas ef̱charistó̱ - Thank you**

**Éla edó̱ - Come here**

**And if I missed any others, I've simply myself forgot what the actual meaning was in English. Anyways, I hope y'all enjoy this chapter!**

* * *

**Chapter 1**

* * *

"What is happening right now?"

Mia couldn't bring herself to answer the question. The words refusing to come out like she had planned. She had tried to come up with something, but found that she hadn't the slightest clue herself as to what was happening around her right this very minute. So the best response to give, was to remain just as clueless as the girl, Delta was.

"I don't know."

Her eyes flickered to the scene playing out in front of her. Bewilderment was all that was visible on her features, due to the fact that there was short line-up in front of her. A line-up that consisted of six other girls, herself and Delta included in this as well. And she couldn't understand why. Just ahead of her, her ears were able to just make out the mutters and the whispers of the words in Greek amongst the caregivers of this household. It was obvious that neither of them wanted the girls to overhear what their conversation consisted of.

She could feel as her thoughts came to halt when she felt a tiny hand grab onto her arm, pulling her back to reality. Her body jumped slightly at the feel of the flesh cold against her warm skin, her head spinning sharply to stare at the person who was standing next to her. Wide, brown eyes stared into her blue ones.

"What could they be talking about that's so…" Delta struggled to find the word. "secretive?"

"I don't know." She stared at the girl. "I can't really make out what is that they're saying."

Of course, she didn't know. Delta didn't know. Nobody knew. If no one else had the answer, then she definitely wouldn't have it either. She was confused about this whole thing, every single child in this shelter was. She couldn't understand why she was standing in a straight line full of young girls with Delta standing right behind her. Even though neither her nor Delta had lacked any knowledge of what it was that they were in for, Mia's eyes couldn't leave the sight that was staring right back at her.

"O epómenos! Viasteíte!"

Those same words that she heard rang throughout the shelter almost the entire day. Mia felt her body grow stiff, wincing at the loud voices booming through her eardrums, and that same sight she had to witness every five seconds. One girl obediently stepping through the door with their head bowed down. They were fully aware of the looks of disgust in which were being sent their way as they walked past their owners.

Mia watched as another girl walked through that same door, her eyes never once left her back. The line in front of her only inched closer towards their possible fate that stood behind the wooden object. The stone underneath her bare feet was cold against her skin. She could feel the anxiety beginning to rise within her system. As much as she didn't want to follow these orders, she had to. Otherwise, she would receive a lash to her back like always.

She winced at the thought, praying she wouldn't have to go through that at this very moment.

The sound of the door opening cut her off from her thoughts. She witnessed the girl that she saw just a few seconds ago re-entering from behind the door that stood. Her tattered dress hung loosely from her shoulders and her head bowed down in shame, and fear.

Mia couldn't help but flinch as the girl was shoved forward from where she previously stood. Her blue eyes grew wider, watching the girl take one slow step at a time with her arms wrapped tightly around her body. Compassion, was the only thing that Mia was feeling for this girl. Compassion for whatever it was that caused her even more pain and fear than she was feeling just a couple of seconds ago.

"O epómenos!"

They had called again for the next girl to proceed forward through the door. Again, the line moved, inching closer towards their fate that awaited them, and Mia could feel the muscles in her body beginning to tighten. Her hands shook below but she closed them in tight fists, not wanting the fear to show.

Feeling the girl's presence lingering next to hers and without even thinking, Mia grabbed hold of her arm and carefully forced the girl to look into her eyes.

"What's happening?" She whispered. "What's going on out there?"

The girl looked at her with wide eyes, her pale cheeks stained with tears and the color from her face flushed. She shook her head, sneaking a quick glance towards the masters to make sure they weren't looking, before she desperately grabbed onto Mia's hand and focused her attention on her.

"Vender!"

Mia frowned. A word she had never heard before, a word that sounded so unfamiliar. She wasn't sure if the girl was speaking English, or in a completely different language.

"What?"

"No!" The girl shook her head in fright, black locks moving with her head. "Vender! Vender!"

"What is she saying?" Delta whispered in fright over Mia's shoulder. "It sounds very serious."

"I-I don't understand what you're trying to tell me."

"Ellos," Mia's eyes follow the girl's finger as she points in the direction of the owners ahead. "Vender! Usted!"

"You mean….the masters?"

The girl nods. "Si! Si!"

That's when realization finally hit Mia. "She's not from here." She meant to say that to Delta. "She's not from Greece."

"No." The girl sadly shakes her head. "Soy de España."

"Spain?"

"Si!"

"But, she seems to understand what you're saying, though." Delta furrowed her brow over Mia's shoulder.

"Your name." The girl looked confused at Mia's question. Mia gestured towards her. "You. Your name."

The girl shook her head, before she spoke hesitantly. "Catalina."

"Okay but Catalina, I need you to tell me, please," She made sure to look her straight in the eye. "What. Is. Happening?"

"Vender!" Catalina's eyes widened. "Ellos quieren vender!"

"I still don't understand what you're trying to tell me!"

Catalina struggled to find the words. "S-sell! Sell!"

"Sell?" Mia's brows raised. "Sell what?"

Before another word could escape from Catalina's mouth, the door swung open with such force as another girl was shoved back inside. Her face was concealed with tears and she buried her head in her hands, sobbing. It never occurred to Mia that she was the next person to be standing right in front of the door with Catalina's hand grasping onto hers.

"Hazi!"

Mia let out a short gasp. "I….."

"Carrera…."

Mia's head snapped back towards Catalina, the fear in her eyes were visible and Mia could feel that her grip tightened around her hand.

"What?"

"Carrera!" Catalina hissed in fright. "Ellos van a-"

"Anasi̱kó̱nomai edó̱!" A tall, muscular man loomed over her small, withering form. "Tó̱ra!"

"But I-"

"Carrera!"

She didn't have a chance to blink. Lurching forward, she was pushed into the small room. Her shoulder popped and her feet scraped gravel. Skin protesting, she cried out. His calluses left marks on her arm. Grease and sweat mixed and left skids against her hand. She looked around, searching for someone. Begging anyone and no one to save her. But she was alone. The door slammed, and once again there was darkness.

It happened so quickly before she even had a chance to blink. Her eyes met with the flicker of orange and yellow flames. A candle stick had appeared in her line of vision. The brightness was enough to blind her temporarily, quickly raising her hands to shield her face from the roaring flames. It never occurred to her that inside this semi-dark, unknown room that another presence lingered.

'_Where am I?' _

She tried to spit those words out, but instead remained inside of her head. Heavy footsteps slowly stepped in her presence. One by one. The flames grew brighter with each step that came in her wake. A sharp gasp slipped past her lips as a large hand grasped her wrist, forcing the shield of her hands to disperse from her features. A tall figure towered over her small frame. Wide, blue eyes met a pair of ones that remained unfamiliar, her face a portrait of stony fear.

There, a man stood. Tall and firm. His large silhouette caused her cower in fear. The strong stench of grease combined with sweat stung her nose, crinkling her nose in the process. His dark hair sleeked back, but nor was it done in a neater fashion. As much as she wanted to force the scream out of her system, she decided against it. Her lower lip trembled slightly, despite the fact that she managed to keep an iron grasp on all the intense emotions that demanded to be released right this second.

Cold eyes raked carefully over body, causing the goose bumps to roll up her arms. She shivered slightly, before tearing her eyes away from his.

"How much?" His gruff voice caused her body to wince slightly, his eyes still weighing on her form. "How much is she worth?"

"200 drachmas."

Mia's head turn sharply over her shoulder, in search of the second voice that lingered behind her in which she knew too well. The voice that belonged to her master. She didn't have enough to time to fully adjust her whole head around, until the hand forced her back to look straight ahead into the eyes of darkness. His eyes widened, cracked flesh tightened around her tender skin, her body shivered in fright, as she made sure to keep her gaze away from his.

"200 drachmas?" His eyes flickered to the man standing behind her. "What's so special about this one here?"

"Einai ena parthena."

That's when realization hit him. His eyes settled back on her form. "ena parthena…" His tone went, slowly dragging the words from his mouth, "a virgin…."

Virgin?

Of course. Another word that she had yet to discover what the real meaning was behind it. A word that she had never been taught in the twelve years that she's lived. She was a virgin? But what did that even mean? Why was it so valuable? And why did this man all of a sudden take more of an interest after hearing that word?

Again, she forced her eyes away from his, as he slowly knelt down below so that his height was a perfect match to hers. His heavy breathing loud against her ears, penetrating the sensitive drums inside. His breath consisted of an abundant whiff of smoke, stinging her nose in the process as this pushed away his previous scent of grease and sweat, though the smell still lingered.

The hairs on her arm stood sharply at the feel of his crusty fingers slowly sliding their way up both her arms. Her eyes squeezed tighter together, preventing the cry down her throat that tried to make its way up. It happened abruptly as a pair of hands gripped her waist and pulled her closer towards him, eyes snapped open, a sharp gasp escaped and fear masked her blue eyes.

His expression hard and cold, just inches from the painting of fear and terror that stood in front of him. A large clump of saliva was forced down her throat, her lips sealed shut, rough hands continuously held their iron grip around her slightly bony waist. A rugged hand reached up towards her, fingers snaked their way through the jungle of her chestnut locks, she winced. His grip tightened in her hair, roughly tilting her head back to better inspect her facial features through with what little light he had left.

"Huh…." He mused to himself, rather taking a liking to this little girl. "Very beautiful…" He continued stroking his fingers through her hair, much to her discomfort, "might come in very handy."

She wanted to scream. A fearful scream that was. A scream that would demand this man to stop. To stop violating her in every possible way that even she couldn't imagine. Never in her life had she ever been touched like _this_. Never. And the thought had frightened her. Not only would a scream be relevant at this point, but a cry.

A cry for help.

Crying was what she wanted to do. But surprisingly enough, she couldn't bring herself to do so. Even though she tried her hardest to do so. She couldn't. She wouldn't. She could not show these people that she was scared. The crusty callouses of his hands left trails of skid marks amongst her skin, leftover grease had followed. His fingers were dry; dry enough for the cracks in his flesh to slice through hers. Teeth pierced through her lower lip, deep enough to draw the metallic taste of blood.

'_Get me out of this place!'_

That's how it felt right this moment. She was trapped in a nightmare with a way that was impossible to escape from. No one would come to save her. No one. She couldn't even save herself.

Her eyes were forced towards his, lips trembled and a tilt of crooked smile was now visible on his features. A smile in which caused her heart to increase.

"You'll do just fine."

Was his last response, cold and rugged. She was certain she could make out the amusement behind it. Once again, his fingers made his way towards her face, barely inches from her flesh before it happened so fast. Without thinking, a hand flew up; a hand that belonged to her, had flown up to struck his hand away, and again, his hand gripped her wrist before she could proceed.

"A feisty one here, I see." His voice went low, dangerously low. His brow creased. Sudden rage now masked his features. "You're lucky I left my whip behind, girl…." His grip tightened around her skin, nails digging painfully at the root. "Attitude is not something I tolerate with."

Another gulp swallowed down to her throat. Lips sealed tightly. Eyes begging to be released once and for all. His eyes left hers momentarily, flickering to the man that stood behind her. He gave a curt nod, giving him permission to proceed with the next. Once again, Mia felt as her body was tugged backwards, the man immediately releasing his iron grip from around her form as he remained rooted in place, eyes never once leaving hers.

She quickly tore her eyes away, following obediently in the direction where she was headed to, despite the fact that she was tripping over her own two feet due to the amount of force that weighed on her. The wooden door opened in front of her, revealing the light she had craved after being crammed in this dark room. Just like they had done with the rest, she was shoved through the door, and ordered back to her room.

* * *

It was just a nightmare. Everything. All of it had been a nightmare.

Or so Mia tried to convince herself.

Only that it wasn't. Reality had leaked through her brain. Everything that happened was in deed the truth. None of it was another odyssey to add to the collection. None of it. Even though she wished it had been.

"That was very scary."

Mia's gaze followed in the direction of the voice that broke through her thoughts. The voice that belonged to Delta. Her eyes lingered amongst her person, body crouched in the corner, knees hugged to her chest.

"That man," Mia listened carefully, Delta's words beginning to reel in her interest. "he was just so…." The blonde inhaled sharply through her nose, "scary."

Mia blinked once, twice. "He was." She could feel her body shaking slightly at the thought of his face painted in her brain.

"Why did they make us stand in front of him?" Delta's gaze settled on Mia, eyes glossy with tears. "It was so….so dark in there and…" she trailed off, letting the last word hang on the tip of her tongue.

The girl shrugged her shoulders, subduing her own set of tears that threatened to escape at any given moment. She refused to let her weakness show.

"I don't know." Her tone lacked any sort of emotion. "I'm just glad that it's over."

The blonde-headed girl blinked, brows furrowed at the sight of the girl who remained rather emotionless throughout this entire thing.

"You weren't scared?" Mia shrugged her shoulders a second time at Delta's question, the straps of her dress slipped off just shy of her shoulders. "At all?"

But the girl remained quiet. She refused to answer the question that was sent in her direction. To her, it was no use admitting that the fear she had experienced had indeed crept its way into her system. It was there, lying in the pit of her stomach every time the subject of 'that man' came up.

She was scared. In fact, she was terrified for her life. Everything about that situation had left her shaken. His tall figure that loomed over her form, his rugged voice, the smell of grease mixed with sweat and smoke still remained in her nostrils, almost as if the smell lingered with each step she took. But like the tough girl she was, she refused to let her emotions show.

"I didn't like how he touched me," Delta continued, still wanting to continue on with the subject. "He…." Her voice shook. "He made me feel…..dirty..."

"Like you were some kind of object?"

Delta nodded, blonde strands moved with her head. "Yeah," she forced back the tears, "like I was an object and not a," her throat ran dry, "little girl."

The words sunk. Deep within. Every word that spilled out of Delta's mouth was true. All of it was. It was true, that man indeed made feel like she was an object. More like, nothing. She didn't feel like she was a person while she stood before him.

The way how he looked at her. The way how he touched her. The words that were said to her. Everything. It made her feel like she was nothing. That she wasn't a human being after all. That she was indeed just an object.

An object that in everyone else's eyes was considered invaluable.

It was bad enough that she was already looked down upon by the numerous caregivers who had set eyes on her. But to be treated like some sort of merchandise, she had no words to describe what she felt.

"What do you think he wants with us?"

Delta's shaky voice broke through her thoughts once again. Mia did her best not to display any kind of emotion towards her, despite the annoyance that she felt boil inside her system. Like she always did, she merely shrugged her shoulders, her gaze fixed on the wooden ground beneath her bare feet.

"I don't know."

"Do you think he's going to come back?"

"I don't know!"

Her response was harsh this time. The hostility behind it was noticeable, and Delta was quick to pick up on it. Mia did not dare chance a look at the girl sitting beside her, and instead kept her gaze settled in the same place like they were before.

"Mia," her body grew stiff at Delta's soft voice that nudged her, "are you scared?"

Mia was quiet. Very quiet. Her body still, unmoving from its position. She chewed on her bottom lip, anticipating whether or not it was such a safe idea to answer that question. She blinked once, twice, before she finally gathered up the courage to return the gesture.

"No." She said evenly, as if she was trying to hide the real emotion behind it.

Delta frowned slightly, looking the least bit convinced. "Are you sure?"

"Why would I be?" This time, Mia's eyes met the girl's. "Should I even be scared?"

The girl's brows fell harder. She wondered all this time if this was an actual person she had been talking to all this time. "You're making sound like being scared is a bad thing."

"No I'm not." This time, it was Mia's turn to frown. "I'm just not scared," she shrugged her shoulders again, "that's all."

"It's okay to be scared, Mia."

"I told you already, I'm not scared!"

"But you sound like you are." Delta tried to reason with her. "You do-"

"I don't!" A glare formed on her face. "I'm _not _scared."

It was evident in Mia's tone she had won the battle. Delta knew for sure, and decided against letting another word slip past her lips. But mainly, it was due to the fact that Mia was growing tired of having to prove just how strong she was on the outside. But on the inside, was a different story. That was something she had refused to let her inner emotions show. She knew that if she had given in, the truth would come out. And truthfully, it was something that she was not yet ready to unmask from within.

"Okay." Delta whispered, almost as if the word was silent.

Both set of eyes tore away from one another's with little effort. The only sound consisted of the long, uncomfortable silence that pressed down amongst them. The air surrounding them brought a chill to their spines, causing small drops of goose flesh to roll up their skin.

"I know that, _I'm _scared." Mia felt Delta's gaze focus on her person. "I know that," she paused briefly. "I'm not considered a bad person just because I'm scared."

Mia ignored her, keeping quiet and refused to say anything else.

"Someone once told me that, it's normal to be scared." She continued on. "We are human after all, and being afraid is part of being a person." She waited to receive any sort of response, but was rewarded with nothing. "We're meant to be afraid of some things. We have to be. It's who we are."

Mia's eyes met hers once again. "Who told you that?"

She could've sworn she saw Delta blush at her question. "I can't say. It's a secret."

Mia frowned. She couldn't help but feel slightly baffled at Delta's last choice in words. Who was this person that Delta was talking about and why was it a secret for that person to stay unknown? Since it was obvious that she didn't have the answer to this one, there was no point in trying to figure it out. But somehow, she was beginning to grow more curious about it than ever.

But that was the least of her worries.

Right now, she wanted to forget everything. Forget everything that had happened. And most importantly, to forget the conversation she had with Delta. About being afraid. She shook her head from the thought, not wanting to recall that word again. She was good at pushing aside the negativity and starting fresh. It was something she could do.

And it was something she would do.

* * *

But Mia couldn't find herself forgetting everything that had happened. Not a single thing. Not even the conversation between her and Delta had left her mind. Everything had stuck with her, like it was glued to her brain.

It was an unusual feeling. Especially for a girl like Mia. Normally, she was the type to forget about everything that would happen to her, whether it'd be good or bad. It was easy for her to push aside anything that would simply encourage her emotions to release themselves.

But in this case, it was different.

Very different.

She never once moved from her spot. Body crouched in a corner, back pressed against the pavement walls. Knees hugged tightly to her chest, chestnut locks curtained her face. Unlike Delta, who had somehow managed to fall into a slumber, her body now sprawled out on the ground beneath her. Mia would admit that fatigue did indeed fall over her as well, but decided not to give in to sleep.

"-have to get rid of her!" Immediately she found her head snapping towards the voice that was heard below, loud enough for her to have overheard.

Luckily for her, the door wasn't fully closed, just slightly left open just a crack. She blinked once, twice, eyes open and fully alert before she chanced a quick glance at the sleeping Delta, and quietly crawled towards the cracked open door. She pressed against the wall by the door, blue eyes peeking through the crack, ears perked, eager to listen for more of what was to come.

"You need to take her!" She heard of one of the caregivers hiss. The desperation was evident in her tone. "We don't want her anymore!"

They no longer want her? Who's _her_? Which girl could they possibly be talking about?

"No! I will not take her!" Her eyes widened, body going stiff as a cold chill ran up her spine. She recognized that voice. That same, rugged voice that never once left her brain. At the sound of his voice, she found herself wincing, her heart dropping to the pit of her stomach. "She's not worth it!"

"Sir, please!" Again, the caregiver's voice pleaded and begged. "We have to get rid of as much of these girls as we can. We cannot keep them any longer."

'_Get rid of us?'_ Mia swallowed, the saliva stinging her throat as she pressed herself against the wall even more. _'What do they mean, 'get rid of us'?'_

"She was going to hit me!" And that's when Mia's eyes grew wider. Her face blanched, shifting to a shade of pale white, as if she had witnessed a fatal killing. "I will _not _tolerate that kind of behavior!"

That's when realization hit her. That's when she finally figured it out.

Her. They wanted to get rid of _her_. They wanted this man to take _her_. The same man whose face she couldn't get out of her brain. The same man that touched her. But the question was, why? Why did she have to go with this man? Why did her caregiver's want this man to take her?

"You don't understand." This time, it was the man's voice that pleaded. Another voice that Mia knew so well. "Our family is growing very poor." Mia could've sworn she heard the woman's voice shake with sadness and desperation. "We need the money."

And then it was silent. Mia's heart rate dangerously beginning to increase with each wheezy breath that she took. Salty tears began to well up in her eyes, but quickly wiped them away with a shaky hand. Everything was beginning to make sense. Almost if she had finally figured out a complicated equation.

It was the money.

It was all about the money. Her caregivers were planning to give her away to this man for money. They wanted to sell her. Something that they had planning all along. But the question was, what would this man do to her? What was it that he would've wanted her for? But if they were going to give her to this man, did that mean that they would give Delta to this man too?

"We can make a deal." She winced at how fast the woman was quick to object. "We will give you two other girls, all for just 200 drachmas."

He sighed, a long heavy sigh. One that nearly sounded like a growl. "So, you give me three girls, including that one," Her brows pinched, anger boiled inside of her as he referred to her as _'that one'_, "all for 200 drachmas."

"Yes sir."

Another grumble. He gave it some thought for a brief second, until he finally spoke. "Alright. You got yourselves a deal."

"Sas ef̱charistoúme!" The man thanked him graciously. "Thank you so very much, sir!"

"When do I collect my merchandise?"

"Right now."

Mia's heart clung to her ribcage with ferocity. Her breath tangled in her bones and her body shook furiously. Her knuckles turned pale white from grasping onto the fabric of her tattered dress. Eyes were widened and fully alert. Her lower lip trembled, and she bit onto it hard enough for that same, metallic taste to sliver amongst her taste buds. She could hear the shuffling of feet making their way up the stairs, footsteps heavy and caused the wood to creak below their feet.

Each step they took, Mia's heart beat faster, pounding furiously against her little chest. She knew that her fate was waiting just outside that door. The fate that always found its way back into her life. Just like that, she was already being thrown away once again. Forever. This time, it was for money. Treated like a used doll.

"Hazi!" She jumped at the sound of one of her caregiver's voice, yelling at another innocent girl. "Si̱ko̱theíte! Come here! Now!"

The cries and pleas of the girl caused her heart to pound inside of her. It was obvious that the girl understood why she was being taken away. Through the crack of the door, Mia could see as the girl was being dragged from her room, arm caught in the iron grasp of the man that ran this home, tears fresh in her eyes and visible amongst her flesh.

"Éla edó̱! Tó̱ra!"

There was the second calling. Another girl sobbed and begged, but her please were ignored. Dragged against her will just like the first. Face buried in her hands while the woman dragged her by the back of her neck. And just like that, the image of the second girl, Mia instantly recognized her as the girl from Spain. The girl that had tried to warn her earlier before.

_Catalina._

Her mouth clamped shut, her cries wedged deep inside. The heavy footsteps pounded loudly in her ears. Heart thudding as they inched closer and closer, nearing the door. She quickly shuffled back, eyes wandering around the room, desperately searching for any sign of an easy escape. But was rewarded with nothing. Her breathing growing heavier by the minute, with the footsteps having finally reached their destination, her fate awaiting her just outside the door.

Until the wooden door swung open.

Her face blanched. Eyes widened, jaw hanging open and her breath caught in the middle of her throat. Her body froze, unmoving. The scream that wanted to erupt couldn't. She was unable to find it, but her heart spoke for her.

"Hazi!" She flinched, shaking her head. "Si̱ko̱theíte!" The voice went dangerously low. "Tó̱ra!"

She didn't know how to react. Nor could she find the words to speak for her. Instead, she stubbornly shook her head, shuffling further away from the large woman towering over her small frame.

"Tó̱ra!" The woman's had raised. "I said now!"

Still, she refused. Not wanting to back down without a fight. There was no way she was going to let these women throw her away like she had been her whole life. There was no way she was going to let this man buy her for what God knows what reason. Again, she shook her head. Her lower lip trembling, grounding her teeth into the flesh, preventing any sign of fear to be shown.

"Mia?"

Her body jumped at the sound of Delta's groggy voice that had awakened from her slumber. Her gaze settled on the girl curled up in the corner, eyes clouded with fear as she stared up at the woman. "W-what's happening?"

"Skáse!" Delta winced at the woman's voice yelling towards her. Then she turned to focus her attention on the other girl below her. "Si̱ko̱theíte i̱líthio korítsi!"

"Mia," Delta quietly called out to her, voice cracking with fear, "run."

"I said shut up!"

Slap.

Just like that, Mia winced at the sound of flesh smacking against the other. A yelp soon followed. Realizing that the woman had slapped Delta, her head flew in the opposite direction with such force. Her tiny hand flew to the spot on her cheek where she had just been hit. Blood rushed to the surface of her flesh where it was now irritated, which was now concealed with strips of salty liquid spilling down her cheeks.

And Mia found that she could not do a thing about it.

Not a single thing, but to watch as the girl was pain. She forced her own tears back down her throat, guilt forming inside of her of being so helpless.

"You are coming with me! Now!"

She didn't have a chance to blink, before her arm was in the iron grasp of the woman's. Her body dragging against the pavement beneath, scraping against her skin. Shoulder popping, she cried out, protesting to be released, but she was ignored. She never got the chance to look back, but she could hear Delta's pleas mixed in with her own cries. She knew that no one could help her. No one _would _help her. Not when she needed it the most. But she still fought anyways.

Her body came to a halt just above the stairs, realizing that the woman had stopped dragging her across the ground. But she was lifted off the ground with little effort. She was caught in the grasp that she feared the most with no way to escape. She fought. She kicked. She screamed. She even clawed at the woman, demanding for her to be put down. But once again, she was ignored while the woman climbed down the stairs. Ferocious little girl in her hands.

There, the man stood. Patiently waiting for his last purchase. A smug grin spread across his lips. Knowing that his eyes were locked on her, Mia fought harder with each step as she was getting closer. Closer towards her fate that was eager to suck her back into its large whole once again.

"Careful with this one," Mia heard the man warn the other; the man that was her master, "she's quite the fighter."

"Don't worry." The grin was evident in his tone. "I'll take good care of her."

Without a second thought, with every ounce of strength that she had left, Mia had bitten down on the woman's fingers. Teeth sunk into her flesh as the woman screamed in agony, letting the girl fall from her hands as Mia landed on the ground with a thud. On all fours, she searched for a way to escape, until she was lurched back with force. Fingers tangled in her locks to her scalp as she was pulled upwards. She cried out in agony, tears burned her eyes at the pain she was enduring.

Her master had grabbed her by the hair, while the woman had regained her composure, and slapped her. This time, harder than she had ever been hit. A yelp ripped through her vocal chords, a loud groan in pain soon followed. Eyes were filled with tears, her breathing growing heavy. She was forced onto her feet, her hair still caught in iron grasp of her master.

"I̱líthio korítsi!" He hissed in her ear. "You're going to make us lose our money if you don't behave!"

"She'll be fine." She could see his blurry figure towering over her frame. "I can handle her."

His form inched closer. His hands making their way around her tiny waist, ready to claim his prize. And just like that, Mia harked a blob saliva up her throat, and spat in his face. Before she finished with a kick to his groin, sending the man to collapse to the ground in agony. A gasp in relief slipped past her lips as the pressure on her scalp was released.

Fortunately, she was rewarded with the chance to escape.

Jumping over the man, she slipped out the door. The adrenaline rush awake and fully alert in her system. She climbed down the paved wooden stairs as fast she could, the wood piercing through the heel of her foot, but she ignored the pain and instead continued on her run. She ran past the carriage; the one that had been waiting for her.

"Hazi! Gýrna píso̱!"

The woman's voice called out to her, but she ignored it, as it echoed in the distance. Her legs ached, crying out to her but as always, ignored the pain. She had no time to stop. She had to run. Relief washed over her as she had finally found the one thing that she had been craving for.

Freedom.

She was free.

Free from everything. Free from her masters. Free from ever having to be sent away. Free from the abuse she's had to live with for all these years. And most importantly, she was free from having to live like a slave. She was free from it all. And right now, she had to run. Run for the life she had left inside of her so that she would never be found. Ever again.

Even though she had no set destination, she would run. And she would keep running. She would run if she had to do it for the rest of her life.

* * *

**Crappy ending. I know. Frankly, I think I could've done a lot better, but hey? Not everyone is the best at everything, right? Anyways, I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter. And once again, I am so terribly sorry for the late delay. I'm trying to pace this as much as I can so I can have a better storyline. For this particular chapter, I know the ending might sound as if this is the very last chapter of a story, or the last line of a movie, but it's not! Don't worry! This isn't the end! It's simply just the beginning. But I wanted you all to get a better understanding of why I decided to end the chapter like this. It's simply because in the twelve years of Mia's life, she's been trapped with nowhere to go. But now that she's escaped, she has a chance at the freedom she's always wanted in her life.**

**Oh! One last thing! The character, Catalina is Spanish as you all know. I know that I've left some of English meaning out of what she was saying to Mia. Just in case it might sound weird, but Catalina can understand English somewhat, but she just can't speak it. I will happily provide you all with the English meaning below:**

**Vender – Sell**

**Ellos – They**

**Usted – You**

**Soy de España – I'm from Spain**

**Carrera - Run**

**Anyways, let me know what y'all think!**

**Next chapter will introduce Meg and Hercules!**

**Did I win your approval? If I did, then please show your love and R&amp;R! *Mwah!**

**~Demi**


	3. Chapter 3

**And I'm back! Gah! Do you really want to know what sucks about being such an avid writer? The fact that you become so picky about almost every single syllable you write! Yup! That's me right here! *Sighs deeply* Okay! Sooooo….I'm pretty sure it's obvious that I'm a complete disgrace to the Fanfiction community – and I mean LITERALLY. **

**So first things first: I extremely apologize for the long delays of updates! I was stuck in the same situation as I was with my last chapter. Lately, I'm just becoming so unsatisfied with my writing that each time I write a chapter, I'm always having to re-write and start over AT LEAST three or four times. It's ridiculous!**

**And on top of that, University has been another big reason as to why updates have been delayed. But long story short, I'm trying to do the best that I can with this story and to prove to y'all that re-writing this whole story from scratch was worth it. I know I've been leaving you guys in the dust for soooo long, but that's only because I'm trying to pace this story as much as I can. As crazy as this sounds, I'd rather take months of trying to meticulously perfect each chapter as opposed to rushing each chapter and it ends up turning out to be crap. **

**In the end, y'all are my biggest support and I wouldn't be in this position if it wasn't for you guys! But anyways, I hope y'all enjoy this chapter and I promise there will be plenty more to come your way.**

**Enjoy my lovelies! **

* * *

**Chapter 2**

* * *

_3 Weeks Later_

The blaring rays of the sunlight had forced Meg to awaken from her thoughts with a shudder. She hadn't realized that once again, she let her deep thoughts consume her; noting the fact that she was still present in the tepid waters of her morning bath. Her hands still grasped around the wash cloth she clutched tightly to her chest, but soon released her grip after noticing that there was almost no pigment left in her knuckles. She sputtered a sigh, throwing one last splash of water onto her face before she decided to switch the wash cloth for a towel hanging at the edge of the tub.

Thankfully, Hercules still remained in his deep slumber, which Meg was more than grateful for. A concerned knock on the door was definitely something that she wanted to avoid, especially on a morning like this. Not that she doesn't not admire her husband's chivalry from time to time. But on a daily basis, it was the last thing she needed to deal with. Right now, all she needed was some time to herself. Time to deal with the fact that her nights were beginning to consist of less sleep and the lack of relaxation. Usually, a good morning bath was what would always do her some good. She needed the time to just wash away any apprhension that would get a hold of her.

Her body shivered as her wet feed touched the cool ground beneath. Towel was clutched tightly around her thin frame, droplets of water rolled down her flesh. She lightly dabbed her face dry, erasing the fatigue from her features and then switched to drying her hair. Heaving another sigh, she reluctantly opened the door quietly and slipped between the cracks. She chanced a quick glance at her husband's sleeping form buried in the cocoon of blankets before she cautiously moved towards the wardrobe to fetch something to wear for the day.

Her wet feed made soft padding sounds as she crossed the room, completely unaware that she had accidently caused Hercules to wake from his sleep. Her blurry form entered his line of vision as his eyelids fluttered open. He watched as she dressed across the room, rather taking a liking of the view laid out in front of him.

Even after five years of marriage her beauty had failed to diminish itself. The thin columns of the golden sunlight outlined every curve of her body, bringing a unique flush to her skin that made her shimmer before him. No doubt whatsoever that he wasn't denying the fact that he was admiring the gorgeous woman across from him. Hearing the stirring of sheets that had completely caught her off guard, she gasped and turned suddenly.

"Oh!" Her hands were quick to shield her semi-exposed body from the pair of groggy eyes across the room. "I didn't know you were awake."

He furrowed his brow, squinting through the abusive morning rays. "You're up early?"

"Umm…yea." Her response was prompt as the heat rushed to her cheeks, quickly wiggling her body into her turquoise green dress. "For some reason I wasn't able to fall back asleep."

"Did you have a bad dream?"

"No." She fumbled to fasten the dress, careful to avoid eye contact. "Just been thinking."

Hercules furrowed his brow. "Thinking about what?"

"Just stuff." She gave him a convincing smile. "It's nothing really serious."

"You sure?"

Her smile was still present. "Positive. Listen, why don't you go have your morning bath and I'll meet you downstairs."

As much as Hercules didn't seem convinced, he decided to let it go. Instead, he nodded in agreement as Meg quickly crossed the room and slipped out into the hall. She heard the door creak, sighing in relief knowing that Hercules had just settled in for his bath. The perfect way to avoid yet another possible interrogation. Wrapping her arms around herself, she quickly made her way down the stairs and sauntered into the kitchen.

There were oranges and pomegranates left on the table, with a jar of honey to add to the picture. There was some goat milk left in the ice box, barely enough to share for two people. Meg kept her arms folded across her chest, sighing at the limited options of food they had left. She remembered that she had forgotten to bake some flatbread the night before, and now realized that she had very little choices to prepare dinner. But that wasn't the only thing that was beginning to bother her.

The thoughts had come back. The thoughts that she avoided having to ever bring up to Hercules. Then she remembered, Hercules. In a way, she knew she had lied to him about the real reason as to why she wasn't able to fall back asleep at night. Guilt had found its way in her system, and there was nothing she could do to push the feeling aside.

But just like that, she shook away the thoughts and decided to put some tea to boil and decided to suck it up and settle on a honeyed orange for her breakfast. She took a seat, allowing her body to rest against the wooden chair beneath as she simply nibbled on her meager meal.

"What's for breakfast?"

She jumped with a sharp gasp, startled to see that Hercules had joined her at the table. She put a hand to her head, massaging her temple.

"Is everything alright?" He asked with a look of concern.

Meg heaved a heavy sigh. "Yea it's just…" She struggled to find the right words. "You scared me, that's all."

"Oh, I'm sorry." He sat, feeling somewhat dumbfounded. "I didn't…mean to um….scare you."

She let a small play at her lips, admiring the bashful tone in her husband's voice. "It's alright."

Hercules inspected her carefully, curious eyes weighing on her form. "Are you feeling alright?" He reached out a tentative hand to touch her, but decided against it. "You look a little….weary."

Meg nodded. "I'm okay."

"Do you have a headache?" He nodded towards her fingers massaging her temple. "Are you sick?"

"No." She quickly removed her fingers from her head and went back to nibbling on her small meal. "I'm fine."

"Are you sure?"

This time, she let a smile form on her lips. "Honey, I'm fine." She finally made eye contact with him. "Nothing's wrong. Everything's fine. I promise."

Hercules stared at her through narrowed eyes. He still remained unconvinced but he knew that if he pushed the questions any further that it would only cause more friction. Instead like he always did, he decided to let it go. He returned her smile, though it lacked any emotion.

She allowed her husband to touch her, his fingers placed over her knuckles as he rubbed them tenderly. Her body tingled, his touch bringing a sense of comfort and relief to her system. And soon, her eyes closed slightly as she felt a pair of warm lips pressing against her cheek.

"So," He surveyed the small amounts of food on the table. "Is there um….anything else to eat?"

Meg frowned as she focused her attention on the view laid out before her. She had nearly forgotten about the limited amounts of food they had leftover for breakfast.

"Um well all we have left are some oranges, honey, pomegranates and…a little bit of goat milk." She responded, brows creased. "Perhaps I should take a trip down to the market today."

"Do you want me to come with you?" Hercules was quick to offer, settling on a honeyed orange himself. "I mean, I can skip training with Phil today and it wouldn't be much of a bother or anything-"

A delicate kiss on his cheek from his wife had shushed him. She placed a hand over his and gave it a slight, reassuring squeeze, appreciating his chivalry. "I'll be fine, Herc."

"Meg, honey, are you sure?" He sounded somewhat doubtful, but was careful not make it sound obvious. "Really, I'll be more than willing to get out of training and-"

"Herc, I don't want you to have to skip training because of me." Meg told him in calm tone. "Really, I'll be fine."

Hercules sputtered a sigh, failing to find any more words that would convince her otherwise. "Alright."

"And besides honey," Meg slid off the chair, making her way over to the tea that had finished boiling. "No offense or anything, but you aren't exactly good at food shopping." A grin snuck its way on her mouth.

"Hey! That's not true! I buy plenty of food!" Hercules tried to defend himself.

Meg poured the tea into two cups. "Oh really?" She grinned over shoulder. "Snacks and treats counts as food?"

He could feel the heat rushing to his cheeks, clearing his throat. "Yea." He paused, trying to sound convincing.

"Sweet cakes and olives, huh."

He scratched the back of his neck. He knew too well that he was already loosing this battle. "Well it doesn't hurt to have treats and snacks once in a while."

Meg chuckled as she brought the cups of tea to the table. "Once in a while. Not on regular basis, wonder boy."

"Okay, okay." He finally surrendered, sipping his tea. "I see your point. I lose, you win."

"Thank you." She sipped her tea, grinning as she did so. It was silent for a brief minute, as the darling couple were enjoying what little time they had left to spend together. The morning silence was peaceful to their ears as they both savored their hot beverages. Meg settled her cup down on the table, realizing that it was almost time for Hercules's departure.

"I should probably get going." Hercules tasted the last drop of his tea. "Last thing I need is for the royal highness to lecture me about being late."

Meg rolled her eyes at the thought. "We wouldn't want that now, would we?" She jumped slightly at the feel of her husband's hand rubbing her back tentatively.

"You sure you'll be alright going to the market on your own?"

She sighed, chuckling. "Wonder boy, I'll be fine." She turned to place another kiss on his cheek. "You don't have to worry about me. Besides, I'm a big tough girl, remember?" Hercules smiled, placing a kiss gentle kiss on the woman's forehead.

"Alright, honey. I'll be home in time for supper."

Meg nodded, smiling. And the interaction between them had vanished. They had separated as she watched her husband depart from their home, slipping out the door and closing it shut behind him. Once she was sure that he had disappeared completely, the smile fell slowly from her face, letting a sigh slip past her lips. Her gaze met the cup sitting in front of her, staring at her reflection in the dark liquid.

She had done it again.

* * *

It was later in the morning by the time Meg arrived down to agora. Normally, Hercules would've convinced her to ride in the carriage, seeing as the walk to the market was a bit of a distance. But Meg didn't mind. She enjoyed the walk and especially on a morning such as this, she desperately craved for the fresh air. She made sure to bring enough change with her, in case she needed to make a purchase that happened to be more on the pricey side.

It was another typical day in the market. The area was bustling with fishermen announcing their goods, a few hunters boasted about the quality of their kill as they were eager to attract more meat desperate citizens, bakers lay their hot loaves of flatbread on the stoves and a couple of farmers were selling chickens as well a day's harvest.

Meg had to take a breath, carefully surveying the busy scene laid out in front of her, before she plunged herself into the throng of eager citizens. She had made sure to keep out of anyone's way, since people in town were often so pushy and unmannerly. It was bad enough that Meg herself was not necessarily a people person, but to experience how obnoxious these people could, well, that was just the cherry to add to the icing.

She sputtered a deep sigh and clutched her hem sack to her chest. She felt her eyes scanning over almost every single product of food, carefully observing each item that its quality had to offer. But it was only a matter of certain foods that she needed to prepare for supper tonight. At the same time, it wasn't like she knew exactly what meal she planning on preparing. That was another thing she hadn't properly thought of before she decided to venture her way through town. All she knew was that she and Hercules needed food in the house, enough to prepare a meal for tonight, and possibly for the next week or so.

The smaller stuff would be easy to start off with. The meat she would worry about later. Meg didn't have to think twice before she picked up a fresh new jar of honey, some more pomegranates, oranges, grapes, cheese, several spices, some fish (sea bass was what she usually preferred) and a sack of barley for the road. The little stuff didn't take long, and neither were they very pricey. Of course, she couldn't isolate the sweet cakes and the olives, seeing as they were Hercules's favorite snacks to munch on, but she had made sure to grab a fresh load of flatbread before she had forgotten.

The sack was pretty much full and the last pit stop she needed to make was to the meats. Now to decide on what meat she should purchase. It was a decision on whether or not she should purchase the venison, or wild boar and suckling pigs. Meg wasn't really much of a meat person. More so, she was never really a big fan of meat to begin with. But since Hercules loved meat so much, she had no problem in whipping up a feast and joining in with him.

After two whole minutes of decision making, she had finally come to the conclusion and decided on the venison. She made her way to the hunter's booth, inspecting the cuts that were still available and graciously put in her request.

"I'll take two stakes, please."

"Two stakes for the beautiful goddess, coming right up!"

A rather large man behind the counter made it clear that he was indeed enjoying the view of the woman making her purchase. Meg grinned, though her smile lacked any emotion, but instead conveyed a slight sense of discomfort. The strong stench of raw meat mixed with sweat leaked off his body, stinging her nose in the process. She watched as the man wrapped the meat up in grape leaves. His hands were stained red from the amount of meat he'd been slaughtering. Meg couldn't help but shift her weight at the feel of the man's lustful gaze weighing on her form. Much to her relief, the man eventually handed her the meat and she quickly snatched it from his grasp.

"I threw in a sack of olives, free of charge." He grinned, licking his lips as he sent her a wink to finish off. "Only for the finest woman in the world."

Meg gave him a curt nod, but did not return his charms. "Thank you." She muttered before she quickly threw him the change for the meat and made her way through the crowd, ignoring his gaze that was still glued to her back.

She shuddered in disgust at the thought of the man behind that counter. It wasn't as if his mannerisms were anything new to her. In a way, she had grown to adapt that kind of behavior from men especially. But ever since she married Hercules, she would've thought to have earned a little bit of respect from men she would come across in the streets and in the market. Then again, she was married to Hercules, the most famous Hero in all of Greece, which suddenly began to make more sense.

She shook her head, refusing to let one unpleasant encounter get the best of her. So she decided to just quickly brush it off and at the same time, was relieved at the thought that she had finally finished her errands. She was desperate to escape the bustling market that was full of sweaty bodies that would often shove and push past her, despite the fact that she was fully aware that a lot of that was not accidental. At this point, her peaceful home was calling out to her, and she craved that feeling greatly.

She stood in the clearing for a bit, battling with herself on whether or not she should suck it up and plunge herself back through the same way she entered, or try and find a less painful and faster way to make it back home on the other side of town. As she pondered over her decision, something caught her attention. More like a figure had caught her attention. A figure, a small figure, waddling innocently into the streets. Meg's eyes squinted, inspecting the sight of the small figure that was half way across from where she stood. Pretty soon, her ears digested the sounds that came from the figure's mouth. A sound that was brimmed with innocence and laugher. A sound she knew all too well.

Meg couldn't find the energy to move. Her purple eyes never leaving the sight of the little toddler who looked to be about no more than maybe sixteen months of age, waddling freely in the bustling town of agora. The wide smile displayed nothing but innocence, which was enough to bring a shed of light to anyone's day. His chubby hands clapped happily together, and his tiny legs took each step cautiously. His eyes, his smile, his laughter and his innocence, everything that a mother would adore.

It was everything that Meg found herself desperately craving right now. The feeling of wanting a toddler curled in her arms. She could just picture herself right this very moment. Herself, and that little toddler, her arms wrapped protectively around him. His bright smile meeting her gaze, his chubby hands placed on either sides of her face, her lips pressing tenderly against his forehead as she holds him close, cradling him in her arms…

"Thief! Stop!"

Meg was immediately pulled from her thoughts. She didn't have a chance to blink before her gaze was switched on the commotion that laid out in front of her. She was only able to make out the blur of another figure sprinting through the streets. Her eyes narrowed, inspecting the scene before her. A little girl pushed desperately through the throng of the distressed citizens, eager to escape from whatever it was that had been chasing her, before she was able to round a corner and flee into an alleyway.

"Kléfti̱s!" The same voice had shouted a second time, pushing his way through the crowded streets. "Stop that girl!"

Instantly, Meg was able to recognize the man from the bakery sprinting down the streets just a few feet behind. He rounded a corner, that same corner leading to the alleyway where the little girl had just vanished. And soon, another man followed, whip gripped tightly in his hand.

Before she even realized, Meg found herself curiously heading in that same direction. Not realizing that her feet were doing most of the work and she graciously obliged without any objection. Squeezing through the crowd of people, she quickly reached her destination and rounded the corner that led towards the alleyway, the same destination where the two bakers and the little girl had disappeared.

The alleyway was shield from the blazing sun, two rows of buildings concealed the area with a dark shade, with damp clothing flowing as they were hung to clothing lines. Must have been laundry day in one of the family households. The smell of the decay of dead bugs filled her nostrils. It wasn't as crowded, with only a couple of citizens having decided to take a shortcut rather than risking getting lost horde of distressed persons. Meg had easily found her way, eyes surveying the area cautiously from one side to the next. The commotion had diminished itself, the shouting had faded out of earshot and was no longer heard. Or so she had thought otherwise.

She was sure it was too late. That she had lost them. That the bakers had already claimed the young thief and had probably ordered to have her arrested. But at the same time, she knew better not to have gotten herself involved in the situation, seeing as it most likely would've caused a much bigger problem than it already was.

It wasn't long until she heard the sound of shuffling. Her head turned sharply, eyes and ears alert as she surveyed the area around her once again. It was quiet for a second, until the sound was heard again. This time, her whole body turned towards it as she took a tentative step forward. She clutched sack closer towards her, carefully taking another tentative step. She saw the figure laid out in front of her, cowering in fear in a corner of the building. That same figure she had witnessed not too long ago.

Meg's eyes never left hers. There, the little girl saw the woman slowly coming towards her. Her face a portrait of stony fear. Her tattered dress stained with bits of dirt and was slightly damp, strap slid off her shoulder, her eyes were glossy and full of fatigue and exhaustion, her chestnut hair was matted and tangled. She tried to conceal the terror that masked her features, but Meg knew too well that it still remained. And that's when Meg discovered the object that was clutched tightly to her chest.

Flatbread.

"I think she went that way!"

A small gasp emerged from the girl's mouth as Meg's head turned sharply to look over her shoulder. The voices that belonged to the two bakers, it was clear that this little girl had outrun them. Unfortunately for her, it looked like her plan was about to backfire any minute.

"No! I think she went this way!"

Meg turned to look at the girl. Her violet eyes stared into the blue pleading ones that searched hers. She was certain she could perceive the footsteps and hollers inching closer by the minute. She thought twice, before she reached out her hand towards the smaller girl cowering below her. The girl looked at her hand, shuffling further away.

"It's okay." Meg told her softly. "Don't be afraid." She leaned in slightly closer. "Take my hand."

The girl studied her, wondering why on earth a woman such as this was being so kind towards her. But at the same time, she had to wonder if this was some sort of trick. More so some sort of trap that this woman may have been planning up her sleeve. She was certain she could hear the footsteps trotting against the ground, inching closer and closer. But the girl shook her head.

"You don't have to be scared." Meg gave her a reassuring smile. "I promise I won't hurt you." She did her very best to convince her. "Take my hand."

Her body shook. Fingers gripping tightly around the warm pastry pressing against her chest. She still had yet to decide whether or not she wanted to trust this woman and take her word for it. Or if she should refuse her offer and prepare to deal with the extreme consequences that were about to come for deciding to steal bread. But she did swallow down the lead in her throat.

"She went this way!" She jumped at the sound of the voices, noting how near they sounded. "Let's get that thief!"

"Please, take my hand." Meg encouraged her. "Don't be scared." Her hand was still lowered, and the girl was really considering her offer. "Come with me. Let's get you out of here before they find you."

She blinked once, and then a second time. She inhaled sharply through her nose and took Meg's hand and vanished with the woman.

* * *

**And that's a wrap! Again, another crappy ending. But overall, I guess I am glad how everything turned out. I pretty much ranted to y'all before in my short little author's note above, so I don't really have much to say now….LOL! But anyways, I hope this chapter was enough to win y'alls approval. But on the bright side, at least there will plenty more ahead to look forward to! **

**On a side note, the word "Kléfti̱s", means "Thief" in Greek. But anyways, y'all know the drill! Show your love and R&amp;R! Mwah***

**~Demi**


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